TheM.E.A.L.

Paragraph
TheM.E.A.L.paragraphisastyleofwritingthatisensuresyourwritingisorganizedand
evidencebased.Thisstyleofwritingisrecommendedbymanyuniversities(includingUNCandDuke)andis
usefulineverysubjectarea.ThefollowingisadescriptionofthebasicstructuresofaM.E.A.L.paragraph,as
wellasexamplesofM.E.A.L.paragraphsfromlanguagearts,socialstudies,andscience.

MAINIDEA
Thetopicsentence
Identifiesparagraphscentralfocus
Restatesthequestionandyouranswer
Claim,Argue
EVIDENCE
Examplesthathelpprovethemainidea
Facts/Quotes/Data/Numbersthatsupportyourclaim
Identify,List,Outline,Define,Describe
ANALYSIS
Yourexplanationoftheevidence
How/whydoesthisevidencesupportyourmainidea?
Digdeeper
Explain,Interpret,Infer,Discuss,Apply,Compare/Contrast
LINK
Linksbacktothemainidea
Restatesthemainideainadifferentway
Inalongerpaper,linksthemainideatothenextparagraph
Insummary,Inconclusion,Thus,Hence,Therefore,
Restate,Summarize,Conclude

Examples:

LanguageArts.ExcerptfromanessayaboutToniMorrisonsTheBluestEyes

ThenegativeeffecttheenvironmentcanhaveontheindividualisshowninMorrison'scomparisonofmarigoldsin
thegroundtopeopleintheenvironment.Earlyinthenovel,ClaudiaandFriedaareconcernedthatthemarigoldseedsthey
plantedthatspringneversprouted.Attheendofthenovel,ClaudiareflectsontheconnectiontoPecola'sfailure:
ItalkabouthowIdidnotplanttheseedstoodeeply,howitwasthefaultoftheearth,ourland,ourtown.I
eventhinknowthatthelandoftheentirecountrywashostiletomarigoldsthatyear.Thissoilisbadfor
certainkindsofflowers.Certainseedsitwillnotnurture,certainfruititwillnotbear,andwhentheland
killsofitsownvolition,weacquiesceandsaythevictimhadnorighttolive.(206)
Morrisonobviouslyviewstheenvironmentasapowerfulinfluenceontheindividualwhenshesuggeststhattheearthitself
ishostiletothegrowthofthemarigoldseeds.Inasimilarway,peoplecannotthriveinahostileenvironment.Pecola
Breedloveisaseedplantedinthehostileenvironment,and,whensheisnotnurturedinanyway,shecannotthrive.

ExamplefromSocialStudies.Excerptfromanessayaboutslavespirituals.

Slave spirituals often had hidden double meanings. On one level, spirituals referenced heaven, Jesus,
and the soul, but on another level, the songs spoke about slave resistance. For example, according to
Frederick Douglass, the song O Canaan, Sweet Canaan spoke of slaves longing for heaven, but it also
expressed their desire to escape to the North. Careful listeners heard this second meaning in the following
lyrics: I dont expect to stay / Much longer here. / Run to Jesus, shun the danger. / I dont expect to
stay. When slaves sang this song, they could have been speaking of their departure from this life and their
arrival in heaven; however, they also could have been describing their plans to leave the South and run,
not to Jesus, but to the North. Slaves even used songs like Steal Away to Jesus (at midnight) to
announce to other slaves the time and place of secret, forbidden meetings. What whites heard as merely
spiritual songs, slaves discerned as detailed messages. The hidden meanings in spirituals allowed slaves to
sing what they could not say.

ExamplefromScience.ExcerptfromalabreportabouttheeffectofNitrogenfertilizeronplantgrowth.

TheresultsofthestudyshowthatGrannysBloomersfertilizerhadthegreatestpositiveimpactonbean
plantgrowth.BeanplantstreatedwithGrannysBloomersgrewanaverageof28cmduringthestudy.Thenext
highestgroupswerebeanplantstreatedwithKMartfertilizer,whichgrewanaverageof22.4cm,andbean
plantstreatedwithJobesHousePlantSpikes,whichgrewanaverageof14cm.Thisdataclearlyshowsthat
usingGrannysBloomerspositivelyaffectedbeanplantgrowthbymorethan5cmcomparedtootherfertilizer
brands,andbymorethan10cmcomparedtousingnofertilizer.Thisstudysuggeststhatconsumerstryingto
growbeanplantsathomeshoulduseGrannyBloomersforoptimalgrowth.